Convertible latch set

ABSTRACT

A latch set having a locking slide which is movable from a disengaged position, in which a latch mechanism can be actuated by rotation of either door handle, to an engaged position, in which the latch set and therefore the door are locked. The locking slide is adjustable relative to associated parts whereby the latch set can selectively be installed as either a privacy set which will lock the door, or as a passage set which will merely latch but not lock the door, with either one of the alternate installations being adapted for later conversion to the other.

United States Patent Inventors Burnaby;

Stuart G. McBurnie William G. Fortt, Port Coquitlam; Michel L. E.Rocher, Vancouver, all of British Columbia, Canada Appl, No. FiledPatented Assignee Sept. 17, 1969 Sept. 28, 1971 Velto Industries Ltd.

Vancouver B. C., Canada Primary Examiner-[an A. Calvert AssistantExaminer-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney Fetherstonhaugh & Co.

' ABSTRACT: A latch set having a locking slide which is mova ble from adisengaged position, in which a latch mechanism can be actuated byrotation of either door handle, to an engaged position, in which thelatch set and therefore the door are locked. The locking slide isadjustable relative to associated parts whereby the latch set canselectively be installed as either a privacy set which will lock thedoor, or as a passage set which will merely latch but not lock the door,with either one of the alternate installations being adapted for laterconversion to the other.

CONVERTIBLE LATCH SET 9 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 292/254, 292/341.18, 292/359 Int. Cl ..Eb /02, EOSb 13/00 Fieldof Search 292/254, 391.18, 348, 350, 227, 169, 177,182, 336.3, 359;/222, 223

95 6 4s, 3 86 7 9s l 1' 74 8| 5 72- l i e0 e2 52 3 L. r 1 l l l I l 16APATENTEU SEP28 |97l LT: fi- I20} SHEET 3 BF d INVINTOI S TU A R T 6 MeBURNIE WILLIAM G. FORTT MICHEL L. E. ROCHER ATYOINRYS PATENTEDSEP28I97I3608.939

SHEET .3 BF 4 IMVINTOIS STUART 6. McBURNIE WILLIAM G. FORTT MICHEL L. E.ROCHER ATTOINIYQ PATENTED SEP28 I97! SHEET u 0F 4 INVINTO STUART 6.McBURNIE WILLIAM G. FORTT MICHEL L. E. ROCHER "wanna CONVERTIBLE LATESIE'I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to door latchsets and more particularly to a dual-purpose door-latching apparatus.

A conventional latch set is designed specifically to serve either as aprivacy set which will look a door, or as a passage set for a door whichneed not be locked. In either case, the mechanism is a complex andrelatively expensive item made up of a very large number ofprecision-made metal parts. The design of the set must be variedsomewhat to suit a particular installation, i.e., the door for which theset is mounted may be a thin passage door or a heavy and relativelythick outer door requiring a burglarproof lock, and such variation indesign all adds to the manufacturing cost and therefore the eventualcost to the consumer. Other disadvantages of conventional latch sets arethat they are best installed by a skilled carpenter who must take greatcare to determine the exact location on the door and doorframe for thevarious holes and recesses to receive the set. If even a small error ismade during installation, the latch set may fail to function properlyand, if the error is a large one, the door may be ruined.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present latch set has approximatelyone-fifth the number of parts of a conventional set and all but a few ofthese parts are made from a strong, durable and corrosion-free plastic.This provides a silently operating mechanism of an extremely versatiledesign which is suitable for installation on almost any thickness ofresidential door. By a simple adjustment which can be performed by mosthouseholders, the set can be converted from a privacy set to a passageset or vice versa. If the holes drilled in the door and the recessesformed in the jamb are not precisely located, the set will compensatefor such errors. An adjustment can be made to a part of the set whichwill allow variation in the spacing from the edge of the door to theaxes of the door handle. If it is found that the jamb and door parts arenot aligned properly during installation, another adjustment to a jambpart will ensure that the door in held firmly so that it will notrattle. The set can be locked and unlocked by a simple push-pull motionof the inside handle which is positive in its action. Once the set iflocked it cannot be vibrated to an unlocked position by manipulation ofthe outside handle and the possibility of forced entry is reduced to aminimum by the locking arrangement of the extremely strong and slightlyflexible plastic parts of the latch set.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a horizontal section of aconvertible latch set, in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4i is still another transverse section taken on the line d-d ofFIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking slide of this latch set,

FIG. 6 is an elevation looking into the open end of a handle knob of thelatch set and showing a lock collar therein,

FIG. 7 is an elevation of a lockwasher adapted to fit in the handle knobof FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the shaft and the locking slide as these partsare seen from the left of FIG. I,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the door strike used in this set,

FIG. It] is an elevation, part in section, of the outer face of thelatching mechanism carried by the doorjamb, and taken on the lineiii-Ill) of FIG. 1,

FIG. llll is a vertical section taken on the line III-11 of FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is a section taken on the line H2-12 of FIG. ill and showing theinner faces of the keeper plate and keeper in elevation,

FIG. 13 is a plan of the release pin for the set, showing the shaft andlocking slide in dotted lines with said slide in the innermost position,

FIG. M is a section taken on the line lld- M of F [6, l3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The several parts of the latchset which is about to be described are made almost entirely of asuitable hard-wearing plastic material which has many well-knownadvantages over metal. The only exceptions to the use of plastic are afew fasteners which are made of metal. By way of example, the set willbe described as being used on lid-inches bathroom door although it willbe understood the set can be used on most household doors with onlyslight adjustment to a few parts of the set. Since the bathroom doorobviously has to be locked from the inside, the set will be illustratedand described installed as a privacy set for later conversion to apassage set.

Referring to FIG. ll of the drawings, the numeral indicates generally abathroom door having a face llll which is on the outside of the room, aface 112 on the inside of the room, and a side edge 14. At a suitablespacing from the edge M, the door is drilled to provide a transverselyextending, horizontal hole 115. The door edge M is drilled to provide arelatively small horizontal hole 116 which communicates with the largehole l5 and is disposed at right angles thereto. A recess lid is formedin the door edge M and the longitudinal axis of the small hole 16intersects this recess at midheight. Recess 15 opens out to the face 11of the door and is spaced a short distance from the face 12.

The door it) is hung in the usual manner within a frame having a jamb20. A vertical abutment strip 2ll is provided on edge 22 of the jamb 20,on the outside of the doorframe, to serve as a stop for the door Ml.Another slightly larger recess 23 is formed in the edge 22 of the jamb,this recess also being intersected at midheight by the axis of the holel6. Recess 23 extends from the strip Zll to the inside face 24 of thedoor jamb.

The drilling of the above-mentioned holes and the formation of the tworecesses prepares the door 10 and jamb 20 to receive the present latchset which is generally indicated by the numeral 30. Latch set 30comprises a housing 31 formed of an inner sleeve 32 and an outer sleeve33. The inner sleeve 32, see FIGS. 1 and 2, has an end plate 35 in whicha central opening 36 is formed and this opening is bordered by anoutwardly projecting circular flange 37. Sleeve 32 is externallythreaded as at 39, the thread preferably being a square thread, and arectangular opening 450 is formed in one side of the sleeve. On theinner face of the end plate 35, there are two diametrically opposed pins42 (FIG. I.) which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve32.

Referring to FIG. l the outer sleeve 33 will be seen to have an endplate 35A, and a central opening 36A is formed in this plate with acircular flange 37A surrounding said opening. Sleeve 33 is internallythreaded as at 39A to engage the thread 39 on the inner sleeve.

The telescoping sleeves 32 and 33 are threaded together within the largehole 15 in the door to draw their end plates 35 and 35A into clampingengagement with the opposing faces Ill and 112 of the door. As plate 35is clamped to the door face ill, the pins 42 are embedded slightly inthe wood of the door so that the housing 31 cannot rotate. Therectangular opening ilt) of sleeve 32 registers with the small] hole 16when the housing is properly mounted in the door. It will be noted thesleeves 32 and 33 can be tightened by hand to a degree which requiresthe use of a special tool to release them from their gripping engagementwith the door. The door faces ill and 12 may not be parallel to oneanother or may be unevenly finished or painted but the plastic endplates 35 and 35A will compensate for such defects in the door. As thehousing sleeves are tightened, the outer edges of the plates 35 and 35Aare caused to flex slightly to conform to the door surfaces. The naturaltendency of the plastic is to cling to the wooden door and the flexedouter edges of the end plates of the sleeves 32 and 33 exert resilientpressure on the door faces which augments the clinging action of theplastic and all this strongly resists any tendency of said sleeves tocounterrotate. Thus, the innerand outer sleeves of the housing 31 willremain firmly threaded together under all normal circumstances with noother fastening devices being required.

Mounted within the housing 31 is a shaft 44 which is shaped somewhatlike a cross when viewed from either end. Shaft 44 has an outside end45, an inside end 46, and an intermediate portion 47. The crosslikeshape of the shaft 44 provides end 45 with longitudinally extendingenlarged splines 49, see FIGS. 2 and 5, and on the peripheries of thesesplines an interrupted thread 50 is cut, which thread preferably is adouble start, square thread. The outside diameter of end 46 is slightlyless than the corresponding diameter of end 45 and the particular shapeof the shaft provides the inside end 46 with splines 52 (FIG. 3) whichare aligned with the splines 49 on the threaded end. As shown best inFIG. 4, the intermediate portion 47 of the shaft has longitudinal ribs54 which project.

radially outwardly beyond the splines 49.

Threaded end 45 of the shaft is fitted with a hollow handle knob 58, seeFIG. 1, which knob 58 has an inner end wall 59, a slightly taperedperipheral wall 60,-and an internally rebated outer end 61. Aninternally threaded opening 63, is formed in wall 59 and an inwardlyprojecting and circular flange 64 is provided on said end wall toencircle said opening. Knob 58 is threaded on to the shaft end 45 andthe flange 64 is seated within the flanged opening 36 of the end platewith the wall 59 in contact with the flange 37. Thus, the handle knob 58is rotatably supported by the plate 35 and is held against side and endplay. This particular mounting of the handle knob serves to journal thethreaded end of the shaft 44.

The inside end 46 of the shaft is fitted with a locking slide 68, seeparticularly FIG. 5, this tubular slide being in the form 1 of an opencross when viewed in end elevation. The slide 68 has longitudinalsplines 69 which extend from the outer end of said slide to a flange 70on the inner end thereof. Slide 68 has a splined bore 72 which is shapedto closely fit the splines 52 on the shaft so that said slide cannotrotate on the shaft but is free to slide longitudinally thereof. Theouter peripheries of the splines 69 are provided with an interrupted,double start, square thread 74. Preferably, one of the splines 52 ismade slightly smaller than the other three splines on shaft portion 47.The splined bore 72 of thejslide is correspondingly shaped so that theslide 68 will only fit one way on the shaft 44. This ensures that theslide 68 is always correctly positioned in relation to the intermediateportion 47 of the shaft for reasons which will be made apparent later.

An inside handle knob 78, see FIGS. 1, and 3, and 6, is threaded on tothe locking slide 68. This hollow knob 78 is identical to knob 58, viz.it has a peripheral wall 79, an end wall 80, an internally threadedopening 81, and a flange 82 surrounding said opening. Wall 79 has arebated outer end 83, see FIG. 1 only. The flange 82 enters the opening36A in the end plate 35A and is closely confined by the flange 37A. Thehollow knob 78 then is joumaled and held against end play by theadjacent end plate in the same manner as the outside handle knob. Thisarrangement rotatably supports the inside end 46 of the shaft so thatsaid shaft can be turned by rotation of either of the handle knobs oncethe latter members are locked to the former; At the same time, the knob78 and the slide 68 have limited endwise movement on the shaft 44 withthe extent of this movement being variable as will be explained indetail later.

It will be noted that the parts thus far described can be assembled inalmost any thickness of door likely to be found in a home or otherbuilding. The housing 31 is extended or contracted as required by thedoor thickness and the two handle knobs are threaded into engagementwith their respective end plated. If the door is very thin for example,the opposite ends of the shaft 44 simply project a greater than normaldistance into the hollow handle knobs.

Locking means, generally indicated at 86,'is provided to secure theinside handle 78 to the slide 68. As shown in FIGS.

1, 6 and 7, locking means 86 comprises a collar 87, see par-' ticularlyFIG. 6, which is secured to the wall 80 within the handle knob. Collar87 has a suitable number of radially projecting tabs 88 which serve, inpart,- to define arcuate recesses 89. Preferably, there are as many as16 of these recesses 89 to provide a very fine degree of adjustment forthe locking means 86, but for convenience, a lesser number are shown inthe drawings. One of the tabs 88 is aligned-with a pilot pin 90 whichextends outwardly along the inner surface of the wall 79 and is suitablysecured thereto.

A washer 94,see FIGS. 1 and 7, cooperates with the collar 87 to securethe knob 78 to the slide 68. In FIG. 7 particularly,

the washer 94 is shown as having a cross-shaped or splined opening 95which conforms to the cross-sectional shape of the splined slide 68.Spaced around the outer edge of the washer 94 are a number of inwardlyprojecting lugs 96. The number and shape of the lugs 96 conform to thatof the recesses 89 formed within knob 78. Also formed on the washer 94are a pair of circumferentially spaced prongs 98 which project outwardlyfrom the washer parallel to the axis of the opening 95. These prongs 98are for convenience in manipulating the washer 94 as it is fitted intoor removed from the knob 78.

When the present latch set is installed as a privacy set as in thisexample, the locking slide 68, and the handle knob 78 attached thereto,are provided with a predetermined amount of end play and this is done byadjustment of the locking means 86. Prior to fitting the means 86 inposition, knob 78 is threaded to a position on the slide 68 which willallow said slide to be moved along shaft 44 from an outer position, asshown in FIG. 1, an inner position spaced inwardly a little from saidouter position. These inner and outer positions are the locked andunlocked positions respectively of the latch set 30.

Once the inside handle knob 78 has been threaded to the requiredposition on the slide 68, the washer 94 is fitted over the splined andthreaded end of said slide, which end then projects into the hollowknob, and is pushed inwardly. until the lugs 96 are lodged in therecesses 89 of the collar 87. As this is done, the pilot pin passesbetween two of the lugs 96 on the washer to serve as a guide which helpsto prevent the washer 94 from binding on the peripheralwall 79 of thehandle knob as said washer is moved inwardly. When thecollar 87 andwasher 94 are fully engaged, the handle knob 78 is locked firmly to theslide 68. The slide 68 in turn is splined to the shaft 44 so that thethree interlocked parts can only be rotated as a unit.

The outside handle knob 58 is secured against rotation on threaded end45 of the shaft by an identical locking means generally indicated at 101and shown in FIG. 1 only. Briefly, means 101 comprises a similar collar102, and a similarly shaped washer 103. The collar 102 and washer 103,when engaged as previously described, prevent the outside handle knob 58from rotating on the thread 50. Thus, the outside and inside handleknobs 58 and 78 are locked to the shaft 44 and the locking slide 68,which slide is splined to' the shaft 44 so that said shaft can berotated by turning either handle knob in either direction when the slide68 is in the outer or unlocked position.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the numeral 106 indicates a shim which isfitted to the slide 68 when the present latch set is installed on a 1%door. The shim 106 in this particular installation is-three-eighths ofan inch thick with an outside diameter substantially equal to that ofthe flange 70 on the locking slide. A cross-shaped opening 107 is formedin the shim 106 and the dimensions of this opening are such that it willclosely fit over the splines 69 on the slide. Shim 106 normally is heldin contact with the flange 70 and, when the slide 68 is in the outer orunlocked position shown in FlG. 1, said shim also is in contact with ashoulder 109 on the inner face of the end plate 35A. Thus, a stop isprovided which limits the outward movement of the handle knob 78 andtherefore the locking slide 68 as well. If the latch set 30 wasinstalled on a l t inches door for example, the shim 106 would beomitted in which case the flange 70 would contact shoulder 109 to limitoutward movement of the slide and knob. By substituting a shim ofappropriate thickness, or omitting a shim altogether, the present latchset can be made to function properly in a wide variety of doors.

The handle knob 58 is fitted with a cover 112, see FIG. 1. Cover 112 isa concave-convex disc of flexible plastic and has a diameter to closelyfit within the rebated end 61 of the handle knob. Cover 112 is insertedinto end 61, convex side out and finger pressure is applied to snap theplastic disc inwardly whereupon the convex side projects inwardly. Thisattaches the cover 112 securely to the handle knob 58 so that it canonly be removed by use of a special tool.

The inside handle knob 78 is fitted with a similar cover 116 which isseated in the rebated end 83 of this handle knob. Cover 116 is installedand locked in position in the previously described manner.

Stop means, generally indicated at 120, see particularly FIGS. 4, 5 and8, is provided between the housing 31 and the shaft 44 to preventrotation of said shaft. As shown in these particular views of thedrawing, means 120 comprises a key 122 which is integrally formed on theinner surface of the sleeve 32. The flange 70 has a keyway 123 and thekey 122 enters this keyway (FIG. 8) when the slide 68 is moved inwardlyto the inner or locked position. When the inner end of the key 122 isentered into the keyway 123 in this manner, the shaft 44 cannot berotated and the set therefore is locked. Stop means 120 is released whenthe slide 68 is withdrawn to the outer or unlocked position shown inFIG. 1, which movement allows the shaft 44 to be rocked by turningeither door handle knob.

Referring now briefly to FIG. 4, key 122 will be seen to be locatedmidway between the ribs 54 of the intermediate portion 47 of the shaftwhen said shaft 44 is in a normal or unrotated position. Whenever theshaft is rotated by means of a handle knob, then one or the other of theribs 54 is moved into contact with the stationary key 122 and the keythen acts as a stop to limit the rotation of the shaft.

The present latch set is provided with gripping means, generallyindicated at 126, which resists movement of the slide 68 to disengagethe stop means 120. As shown best in FIG. 5, the means 126 comprises anumber of circumferentially spaced lugs 127 which are integrally formedon the flange 70 to project inwardly thereof. The spacing between thelugs 127 is slightly less than the width of the ribs 54 on theintermediate portion 47 of the shaft. Since both of these lugs 127 andthe ribs 54 are formed of a tough and durable plastic material both thelugs and the ribs will yield very slightly when engaged so that thewedging action is achieved. The natural tendency of the plastic parts isto cling to and resist separation from one another so that the slide 68is held to the shaft 44 by the force of friction and a little effortmust be exerted to separate the said parts. Thus, if the outer handleknob 58 was pounded or rattled when the door was locked, there would belittle likelihood of the slide 68 being vibrated out of engagement withthe ribs 54, to release the stop means 120.

The convertible latch set 30 includes a latching mechanism which isgenerally indicated at 130. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, mechanism 130comprises a strike 132 which is a rectangular plastic plate set into therecess 18 in the door edge 14. Strike 132 is secured within the doorrecess by metal screws 133 shown in FIG. 9 only. The strike 132 has arectangular recess 135 which is inwardly tapered to provide a verticalshoulder or stop 136 near the face 11 of the door. Formed in the centerof the recess 135, is an opening 138 which registers with the hole 16 inthe door.

Also forming part of the latching mechanism 130 is a boxlike frame 140(FIGS. 1, and 11) which is set into the recess 33 in the door jamb.Frame 140 has an inner wall 141 and a sidewall 142, the latter wallbeing flush with the inside edge 24 of the jamb 20, see FIG. 1. Metalscrews 144 extend through wall 141 to secure the frame 140 to the jamband within the recess 23.

Mounted within the frame is a substantially rectangular keeper plate150, see FIGS. 1, 10, 11 and 12. Plate has a central, rectangularopening 152 and horizontal slots 153 spaced above and below saidopening. The screws 144 project through the slots 153 so that the keeperplate 150 has limited lateral movement within the frame 140 when saidscrews are backed off slightly.

A boxlike keeper is mounted within the opening 152 of the plate 150. Asshown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, vertically disposed pintles 161 areprovided at the inside edge 162 of the keeper 160. These pintles 161 arejournaled in sockets 164 formed in the plate 150 so that the keeper 160can swing about the common vertical axes of said pintles to the outwardly inclined position shown best in FIGS. 1 and 11. Edge 165 of thekeeper plate to limit outward swinging movement of said keeper and thisprevents free edge 167 of the keeper from projecting too far beyond theedge 22 of the jamb.

A small plastic tensioner 170 (FIGS. 11 and 12) is secured to the leftedge (FIG. 12) of the keeper plate 150 so as to pro ject across opening152. The free edge 170A of the tensioner bears against the pivoted sideof the keeper 160 to urge said keeper outwardly of the opening 152.Thus, the normal position of the keeper 160 is projecting outwardly atan acute angle to the edge 22 of the jamb. This places the free edge 167of the keeper within the recess 135 of the strike 132 when the door 10is closed. The stop 136 is engaged by the keeper edge 167 whereupon thedoor is held latched until the keeper is pushed inwardly.

When the door and door jamb are prepared for the latch set, it may bethat the hole 16 and the recess 23 are not properly aligned and, tocompensate for this, the present invention is provided with adjustablemeans 174 for moving the keeper 164) towards and away from the stop 136and for securing said keeper in a selected position relative to saidstop. Referring again to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the means generallyindicated at 174 is shown to comprise a pair of adjusting bolts 175,there preferably being one such bolt at the top and one at the bottom ofthe frame 140. Frame 140 is provided with sockets 176 at the outercorners thereof (FIG. 10) and the heads 177 of the bolts are journaledin these sockets. Sidewalls 142 of the frame has openings 178 and theslotted ends 179 of the bolts are rotatably mounted within theseopenings.

The adjusting bolts 175 are engaged by threaded parts 181, see FIG. 12,which parts are half-nuts formed along the top and bottom edges of thekeeper plate 150. The screws 144 hold the parts 181 in threadedengagement with the bolts 175 so that when these bolts are rotated,plate 150 is caused to move along said bolts.

To adjust the position of the keeper 160 by use of the means 174, asmall screwdriver (not shown) is inserted into the slotted ends 179 andthe bolts 175 are rotated in the appropriate direction to move the freeedge 167 of the keeper into proper contact with the stop 136 on thestrike. The screws 144 are slackened very slightly to allow thistransverse movement of the keeper to take place and when said screws areretightened, the keeper 160 is secured against movement away from theadjusted position.

Mounted in the small opening 16, is a pressure pin generally indicatedat 185. As shown best in FIG. 4, pressure pin 185 has an inner part 186and an outer part 187 which parts are threaded together at 188. Outerend or tip 190 of the pin 185 projects into the opening 138 in the doorstrike. A shoulder 192 is formed on the outer end of part 187 of thepressure pin and butted against this shoulder and another shoulder 193formed on the strike 132, is a short compression spring 194. Spring 194provides means for biasing the pressure pin 185 away from the latchingmechanism 130 and towards the shaft 44.

The construction of the pressure pin 185 is such that the pin can beshortened or lengthened as required according to the distance the axisof the large hole 15 has been set back from the edge 14 of the door.Sometimes it is desirable to vary this back set slightly from one doorto another and it may happen that the person installing the set willmiscalculate and drill the hole not exactly in the right place in whichcase, the pressure pin 185 can be adjusted accordingly and a properlyfunctioning latch set is ensured.

Drive means 201 is provided between the intermediate portion 47 of theshaft 44 and the pressure pin 185. As shown best in FlG. 4, the drivemeans 201 comprises a pair of inwardly dished cams 202 which are formedon the shaft beneath the ribs 54. The inner part 186 of the pressure pinis provided with forks 204 which project into operative engagement withthe cams 202. Between the forks 204, the pin 185 is shaped to conform tothe shape of the shaft portion 47 and particularly with the splines 52which extend across this portion of the shaft. Thus, whenever the shaftis rotated in either direction, the pressure pin 185 is caused by thedrive means 201 to move away from the shaft and the spring 194 iscompressed. The tip 190 of the pressure pin is projected from theopening 138 and into contact with the keeper 160 so that said keeper ispushed out of engagement with the stop 136 on the strike. Thus, the dooris unlatched and when the door is swung open, the keeper 160 is snappedoutwardly once again by the tensioner 170 ready to relatch the door whenit is shut. It should be noted the plastic parts making up the drivemeans 201 and latching mechanism 130 all operate in almost completesilence and without the need for lubrication.

The door is locked by pushing the inside handle knob 78 inwardly todispose slide 68 in its inner position whereupon the key 122 enters thekeyway 123 of flange 70 and the lugs 127 grip the ribs 54 on the shaft.The outside handle knob 58 cannot be rotated to unlatch the door nor canthe inside handle knob 78 be so rotated until it is first pulled awayfrom the inside door face 12.

The latch set has been described as used in a bathroom door and it isdesirable that such a door have some means for releasing the lock fromthe outside of the room. FIGS. 13 and 14 show such a means generallyindicated at 210 and comprising a release pin 21] which has a disclikehead 212 and a tip 213. Head 212 is disposed at right angles to the pin211 angles to the pin 211 and preferably a web 214 interconnects andstrengthens these two parts.

The outer end 45 of the shaft has a recess 215, see particularly FIG.14. A longitudinal channel 216 is formed on the periphery of the shaft44 to extend along both the end 45 and portion 47.

The release pin 211 is lodged in the channel 216 with the head 212 beingenterable into the recess 215. Web 214 of the release pin is received inthe recess 215. Thus, the release pin 211 is slidably and nonrotatablysupported by the shaft 44. The head 212 extends across end 45 of theshaft while the tip 213 is positioned alongside the flange 70 on thelocking slide.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the cover 112 for the outside handle knob 58will be seen to have a central aperture 225. This aperture is intendedto admit a needlelike tool 226 which is pushed inwardly until itcontacts the head 212 of the release pin. A slight additional push onthe tool 226 will move the release pin endwise and this in turn willcause the tip 213 to engage flange 70 and push the locking slide 68 awayfrom the inner position (FIG. 8) to the outer position (FIG. 1).Movement of the slide 68 to the outer position will disengage the stopmeans 120 and unlock the latch set. Thus, if a child or anyone else islocked in the bathroom, the door can be opened bathroom, the door can beopened as described.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent the convertible latch set hasmany features and advantages over conventional metal sets. A homebuilder for example, can buy a number of the present sets and installthem wherever required through the house regardless of the doorthickness. When the device is installed as a privacy set as describedabove, it is a simple matter later on to convert it to a passage set.This is done by removing the cover 116 and lockwasher 94 so that theinner handle knob 78 can be advanced on the threads 74 of the lockingslide. The slide 68 is positioned by this adjustment of the handle knob78 so that it cannot be moved in and out as it is required to be movedto engage the stop means 120 and lock and unlock the door. in otherwords, the slide 68 is secured against endwise movement but the shaft 44can still be rotated by either handle knob and the latch set thus isconverted to a simple passage set. If the present set is installedoriginally as a passage set it is equally as simple to convert it to aprivacy set should the need ever arise.

We claim:

1. A convertible latch set comprising a housing mountable to extendthrough a large hole formed in a door, said housing having end platesnonrotatably engaging opposite faces of the door, a shaft extendinglongitudinally through the housing and through openings in the endplates, a first handle knob secured to one end of the shaft and beingrotatably supported by an adjoining end plate, a locking slidenonrotatably mounted on an opposite end of the shaft, a second handleknob nonrotatably mounted on the locking slide and being rotatablysupported by an adjoining end plate, said locking slide being movable bythe second handle knob from an inner locked position to an outerunlocked position, a pressure pin mounted for endwise movement in arelatively small hole extending into the door edge normal to andconnecting with the large hole, drive means between the pressure pin andthe shaft, a latching mechanism mountable in an edge of the door and ina door jamb normally engaged to retain the door in closed position, saidshaft being rotatable by the handle knobs when the locking slide is inthe outer unlocked position to move the pressure pin to engage andrelease the latching mechanism, stop means between the housing and thelocking slide engaged when said locking slide is in the inner lockedposition to prevent rotation of the shaft, said stop means comprising akey carried by the housing, said locking slide having a keyway toreceive the key when the locking slide is moved to the inner lockedposition, and including circumferentially spaced ribs on said shaft,said key projecting between the ribs and cooperating therewith to limitrotation of said shaft.

2. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 1, in which said latchingmechanism comprises a stop on the edge of the door, a keeper mounted inthe doorjamb opposite the pressure pin for swinging movement about avertical axis, spring means biasing the keeper to an outwardly inclinedposition whereby a free edge of said keeper will engage the stop whenthe door is closed, and adjustable means for moving the keeper towardsand away from the stop and securing said keeper in a selected positionrelative to said stop, said adjustable means comprising a frame securedto the doorjamb, a keeper plate mounted in the frame for limitedhorizontal movement, said keeper being mounted as aforesaid within thekeeper plate, an adjusting bolt journaled by the frame, said keeperplate having a threaded part in operative engagement with the adjustingbolt.

3. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 1, and including grippingmeans frictionally securing the locking slide to the ribs and resistingendwise movement of said locking slide to disengage the stop means.

4. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 3, in which said grippingmeans comprises circumferentially spaced lugs mounted on the lockingslide to engage the ribs on the shaft.

5. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 3, and including arelease pin carried by said one end of the shaft for endwise movementthereon, said first handle knob being hollow and having an outer endcover provided with an aperture, said release pin being adapted to bemoved endwise to disengage the stop means by a needlelike tool enteredthrough the aperture.

6. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 5, in which said releasepin has a disc at one end thereof, said one end of the shaft having alongitudinal channel extending along the periphery thereof, said releasepin being slidably mounted in the channel with the disc extending acrossthe end of the shaft for engagement by the needlelike tool.

7. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 1, and including springmeans biasing the pressure pin away from the latch mechanism.

8. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 7, in which lockingslide, said locking means being adjustable to allow the Said Pressure Phas an inner P and an outer Part, Said second handle knob to beselectively positioned on the locking inner and outer parts beingthreadedly connected together to permit the pressure pin to be varied inlength.

9. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 11, and including lockingmeans securing the second handle knob to the slide whereby to retainsaid locking slide in the outer unlocked position.

1. A convertible latch set comprising a housing mountable to extendthrough a large hole formed in a door, said housing having end platesnonrotatably engaging opposite faces of the door, a shaft extendinglongitudinally through the housing and through openings in the endplates, a first handle knob secured to one end of the shaft and beingrotatably supported by an adjoining end plate, a locking slidenonrotatably mounted on an opposite end of the shaft, a second handleknob nonrotatably mounted on the locking slide and being rotatablysupported by an adjoining end plate, said locking slide being movable bythe second handle knob fRom an inner locked position to an outerunlocked position, a pressure pin mounted for endwise movement in arelatively small hole extending into the door edge normal to andconnecting with the large hole, drive means between the pressure pin andthe shaft, a latching mechanism mountable in an edge of the door and ina door jamb normally engaged to retain the door in closed position, saidshaft being rotatable by the handle knobs when the locking slide is inthe outer unlocked position to move the pressure pin to engage andrelease the latching mechanism, stop means between the housing and thelocking slide engaged when said locking slide is in the inner lockedposition to prevent rotation of the shaft, said stop means comprising akey carried by the housing, said locking slide having a keyway toreceive the key when the locking slide is moved to the inner lockedposition, and including circumferentially spaced ribs on said shaft,said key projecting between the ribs and cooperating therewith to limitrotation of said shaft.
 2. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim1, in which said latching mechanism comprises a stop on the edge of thedoor, a keeper mounted in the doorjamb opposite the pressure pin forswinging movement about a vertical axis, spring means biasing the keeperto an outwardly inclined position whereby a free edge of said keeperwill engage the stop when the door is closed, and adjustable means formoving the keeper towards and away from the stop and securing saidkeeper in a selected position relative to said stop, said adjustablemeans comprising a frame secured to the doorjamb, a keeper plate mountedin the frame for limited horizontal movement, said keeper being mountedas aforesaid within the keeper plate, an adjusting bolt journaled by theframe, said keeper plate having a threaded part in operative engagementwith the adjusting bolt.
 3. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim1, and including gripping means frictionally securing the locking slideto the ribs and resisting endwise movement of said locking slide todisengage the stop means.
 4. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim3, in which said gripping means comprises circumferentially spaced lugsmounted on the locking slide to engage the ribs on the shaft.
 5. Aconvertible latch set as claimed in claim 3, and including a release pincarried by said one end of the shaft for endwise movement thereon, saidfirst handle knob being hollow and having an outer end cover providedwith an aperture, said release pin being adapted to be moved endwise todisengage the stop means by a needlelike tool entered through theaperture.
 6. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 5, in whichsaid release pin has a disc at one end thereof, said one end of theshaft having a longitudinal channel extending along the peripherythereof, said release pin being slidably mounted in the channel with thedisc extending across the end of the shaft for engagement by theneedlelike tool.
 7. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 1, andincluding spring means biasing the pressure pin away from the latchmechanism.
 8. A convertible latch set as claimed in claim 7, in whichsaid pressure pin has an inner part and an outer part, said inner andouter parts being threadedly connected together to permit the pressurepin to be varied in length.
 9. A convertible latch set as claimed inclaim 1, and including locking means securing the second handle knob tothe locking slide, said locking means being adjustable to allow thesecond handle knob to be selectively positioned on the locking slidewhereby to retain said locking slide in the outer unlocked position.